South American legislators call for sanctions on Venezuela

CUCUTA, Colombia – Legislators from six South American countries are meeting to discuss Venezuela's humanitarian crisis and reject the May 20 re-election of President Nicolas Maduro to a second six-year term.

The group of almost two hundred parliamentarians from Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Uruguay and Argentina issued a four-page statement that said Maduro is leading a "repressive government" that "systematically violates human rights."

They called on their countries to impose financial sanctions on top Venezuelan officials who are suspected of money laundering and said they would work to ease entry requirements for the thousands of Venezuelans who are fleeing the country to escape its harrowing economic crisis.

The meeting is being held in Cucuta, a Colombian border city that has struggled to accommodate an influx of Venezuelan migrants.